(The Center Square) – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel recently highlighted the need for the state government and the media to work together in combating election misinformation, as public trust in the media has hit an all-time low.
“I think we’re going to have to educate the public to only look at trusted sources,” she said at the Sunday event, played host to by the National Press Foundation. “That’s why we have to rely on the press more than ever to correct those falsehoods, and we have to get the public to a place where they understand, don’t believe anything that you see unless it comes from these verified sources. And that could be the press, or it could be for instance a clerk’s office, or it could be the Michigan Department of State,” she said.
Nessel also emphasized her department’s work to address voter or poll worker intimidation, set up a hotline for voters to report suspicious election-related activities, and prosecute election fraud and other crimes.
“Just about every election-denying scheme done that gained national attention in the past four years was attempted at some point here in Michigan. So whether it was delays in the counting of absentee ballots, or the robocalls spreading misinformation, or the frivolous lawsuits seeking to overturn the will of the voters–we’ve really seen it all here,” she said.
Other Democrat Michigan officials have urged voters to beware of misinformation as well, with the August primaries less than a week away.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson encouraged voters Friday to sign up for election email updates to stay informed.
“Democracy is a team sport. No matter where you live or who you vote for, our system relies on everyone knowing the facts about our elections,” Benson said in a release Friday. “Michigan citizens can get accurate, nonpartisan information, squash misinformation before it spreads, and serve as trusted messengers within their communities. Together we can strengthen everyone’s trust and faith in our secure elections this year and into the future.”
More than 709,000 voters have already cast a ballot for the state’s August primary election, according to the Michigan SOS.
